Workshop 04

Background: Social Accountability (SA) in Medical Schools is defined by the World Health Organization as “the obligation to direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region, and/or nation they have a mandate to serve”. Ergo, medical schools should both be involved in the development of health systems and produce graduates equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to respond to community needs and have a positive impact. In order to “bridge the gap and pave the future”, medical education should employ the principles of SA such as integrating Social Determinants of Health and emphasizing access to healthcare services. To assist medical schools & student with this, IFMSA & THEnet created a multi-layered resource: the Students’ Toolkit on Social Accountability(http://ifmsa.org/social-accountability).

Aims:

•   Introduce the principles of SA
•   Link SA with UHC and Primary Health Care
•   Encourage the use of the SA toolkit
•   Highlight the importance of student action
•   Encourage medical educators & participants to take action

Description/Methodology

1. Introduction; 5 minutes; Discussion
2. SA 101; 15 minutes; Powerpoint presentation – What is SA: values and principles, key stakeholders
3. SA & Global Health; 10 minutes; Powerpoint presentation – What are the links between them
4. Brainstorming action; 20 minutes; Small Working Group exercise – Quick design thinking exercise to generate concrete actions for medical schools
5. IFMSA Toolkit; 15 minutes; Live website navigation – Available resources and basic how-to
6. Closing; 10 minutes; Discussion – Take home messages

Conclusion: This workshop will raise awareness among participants and provide space for interaction in the hopes of generating concrete outcomes and exchanging valuable resources. The workshop will highlight the importance of students’ involvement and the efficiency of their activities.